Online Petition Against Adobe's Creative Cloud Approaches 9,000

Is Adobe's new subscription-based software platform really that much of a rip-off, as angst-filled Web comments claim?

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It's barely been a week since Adobe officially announced its intent to bury the company's Creative Suite software and replace it with Creative Cloud  a subscription-based offering that balances an increased frequency of updates against a $49.99 monthly cost for accessing the application package ($29.99, for those taking advantage of Creative Cloud's first-year promotional pricing).

To say the move is riling up some of Adobe's rank-and-file is a bit of an understatement. And in the time-honored Internet tradition of, "when things go wrong, we make an online protest," a petition over at Change.org has popped up for those who wish to rail against Adobe in the hopes that it might change the company's mind.

Spoiler: We recommend those irritated by Adobe's change not hold their breath while they wait for the company to reverse its decision.

The petition, which is up to nearly 9,000 online supporters as of this article's writing, claims that, "Adobe is robbing small business, freelancers, and the average consumer. They do not seem to understand that every company is a not multi-national, multi-billion dollar corporation that has an infinite amount of resources."

CNET's Stephen Shankland ran the numbers a few days after Adobe's announcement and found that there are a number of situations where Creative Cloud actually saves consumers money versus the various permutations of Adobe's now-dead Creative Suite. For example, take the Creative Suite Master Collection: A total cost of $2,644 over the course of a three-year period, assuming one purchases the likely upgrade that Adobe would release during that time.

The cost of the Creative Cloud version of the Maser Collection across a similar time period? $1,800.

Of course, not everyone needs the full armada of Adobe products for the particular work they're doing. So what about the cost for just a single copy of PhotoShop  arguably, Adobe's flagship product? Over a three-year period, Adobe PhotoShop would cost a user $818 (again, assuming that one picks up a milestone software upgrade at some point during that time). A single subscription to PhotoShop via Adobe's Creative Cloud model, would cost a mere $720.

Creative Cloud does falter for those who would prefer to buy a single Adobe product and stick with it regardless of future updates, as well as those who elect to pay to upg rade their apps on an every-other-cycle basis.

However, to say that Creative Cloud is automatically sticking it to users is a bit of an exaggeration. It's equally incorrect to say that all users will now save money on their Creative Cloud subscriptions versus the old, "Buy once, own and use forever" model that's since gone the way of the dinosaur.

Could a hybrid approach  a gradual transition from box copies to the Cloud  have helped Adobe avoid (or mitigate) some of the current backlash? Microsoft director Clint Patterson, responding to Adobe's announcement on Microsoft's Office News blog, explained how Microsoft and Adobe are similar in their understanding of the necessity of subscription services, but differ in their timelines for the eventual transition.

"Like Adobe, we think subscription software-as-a-service is the future. The benefits to consumers are huge. Subscribers are always up-to-date. They get the latest and most complete applications. They can use subscriptions across the multitude of devices people use today," Patterson wrote.

"However, unlike Adobe, we think people's shift from packaged software to subscription services will take time. Within a decade, we think everyone will choose to subscribe because the benefits are undeniable. In the meantime, we are committed to offering choice--premier software sold as a package and powerful services sold as a subscription," he added.

David Murphy got his first real taste of technology journalism when he arrived at PC Magazine as an intern in 2005. A three-month stint turned to six months, six months turned to occasional freelance assignments, and he has since rejoined his tech-loving, mostly New York-based friends as one of PCMag.com's news contributors.
His rise to (self-described) fame in the world of tech journalism began during his stint an associate editor at Maximum PC, where his love of cardboard-based PC construction and meetings put him in charge...
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